From Kenzo to Strummer, the 10 buzziest celebrity baby names from 2017

The year 2017 has been one of “normal” celebrity baby names. Well, normal by Hollywood standards.

Among the kids born, there were few shockers like the Apples and Pilot Inspektors of the past. (Fun fact: Apple Martin and Pilot Lee are now teenagers.) Even the more unusual creative names are right on trend, according to baby name expert Laura Wattenberg.

“The vast majority of Hollywood parents name the same as everybody else,” Wattenberg, who’s behind Baby Name Wizard, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “All of America is naming far more creatively, so some of the names [where you think], ‘Oh, these celebrities have done it again’ are actually pretty mainstream.”

Even the unique names among Hollywood babes represent the top trends across the country — from rock ’n’ roll baby names to action-hero ones. Take a look at 10 of the most interesting celebrity baby names of 2017…

1. Kenzo, son of Kevin Hart and Eniko Parrish: The Jumanji star’s children with his first wife are named Hendrix and Heaven, so he made a conscious choice not to follow the H trend when he started a family this year with his second wife. “Kenzo is a Japanese name,” Wattenberg says. “It’s accessible, short, and zippy.” So zippy, Hart often calls the baby “Zo.” The letter Z is hugely popular with parents right now. (See below for Lazlo, son of Jason Biggs.) But this isn’t the first we’ve heard of the name Kenzo in the celeb world. Kimora Lee Simmons and Djimon Hounsou welcomed their son, Kenzo, in 2009.

2. Strummer, son of Julia Stiles and Preston J. Cook: Rocker homages are huge, says Wattenberg, and this one pays tribute to the late Joe Strummer from the Clash. (Stiles is a fan — their music makes her dance around her living room.) Other rocker names we’ve seen in recent years include Bowie, Jagger, Prince, and Lenon.

3. Sir, son of Beyoncé and Jay-Z: This regal name fits right in with word names like Marvel or Supreme — or title names like Prince, which is also in the rock ’n’ category (see Strummer above). “A name that you use in a form of address is aggressive because you’re demanding respect,” Wattenberg says. Imagine always saying “Yes, Sir” to your 3-year old?! While it’s not a surprising choice for the Carters, it’s interesting that out of three kids, only the boy gets the name that puts him on a pedestal. Which brings us to…

4. Rumi, daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z: Jay-Z shed some light on the twins’ names, explaining that Sir “carries himself like that. He just came out, like, Sir,” while Rumi “is our favorite poet.” Wattenberg describes Rumi as a “raindrop name” — or a short name that’s “smooth and glossy,” like Noah, Liam or Mia, which are popular now.

5. Revel, son of Matthew and Renee Morrison: Revel is a celebratory word name that Wattenberg says “exalts the child.” It’s another one of the names that puts the child on a pedestal — similar to Sir, Miracle, Royal, and Reign.

6. Gunner, son of Spencer and Heidi Pratt: Gunnar is a traditional Norse name, but changing the “ar” ending to an “er” literally means someone who holds a gun. Firearm baby names are a huge trend according to Wattenberg. After all, we are in the Trump era. While the “er” ending became trendy with occupational names like Taylor and Carter, now names like Gunner, Riker, and Wilder are rising.

7. Bodhi, daughter of Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder: Jenna Elfman and Megan Fox are among celebrities who have chosen Bodhi for their baby, but Reed and Somerhalder’s little one is unusual because she’s a girl and the other celebrity Bodhis are boys. Wattenberg says it’s not an uncommon name but is one of a kind because it’s gentler and more contemplative than a lot of current, aggressively male names.

8. Lyric, daughter of AJ and Rochelle McLean: This name has been popular since it was introduced in the 1994 film Jason’s Lyric. It’s a natural choice for a boy-bander, but what’s odd is that even though it’s typically a feminine name, it sounds like the common male name Eric, which makes it stand out.

9. Montague, son of Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner: This very British name may sound strange to American parents, but Wattenberg explains that cute nicknames for boys like Frankie and Alfie are huge in England. The nickname Monty, which the former Spice Girl calls her son, is part of that trend.

10. Lazlo, son of Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen: Names ending in O are short and quirky, with Leo currently the most popular. Wattenberg calls Lazlo a romantic name from Spanish/Italian tradition. As we noted above when talking Kenzo, Z is also a hot letter. So look out for a spike in unique O-ending names that also feature a Z.

And while we await the Kardashian baby boom — Kylie Jenner, Khloé Kardashian, and Kim Kardashian all have babies on the way — we’ll leave you with a prediction about the kind of name North and Saint West’s sibling will get when the surrogate gives birth.

“It would be really surprising if they didn’t choose a word name,” Wattenberg says. “You can make a different impact with a word-based name because it comes with built-in meaning and yet nobody’s heard it on a baby before.”

As for general name trends in 2018? Wattenberg says, “I don’t see anything holding back the movement toward more creative names.” Creative, but not totally “out there.” Sorry, Audio Science.